Sworn to Defend (Sworn Navy SEALs #3)
Prologue
L ately, Hunter “Branch” Green dreamed in golds and reds. Straight flames of silk framing an oval face. Smooth skin adorned with gilded flecks, like stars tossed across a desert sky. Small, agile hands. Lungs that breathed life, raising the dead. Hannah Day was a selfless soul that burst into chaos. A petite powerhouse confident to take charge as a flight medic. A mother who raised her son with fierce independence. A woman who seized his mind, holding it hostage since the moment his gaze locked on her, knocking him back with pivotal force. Her autistic son, Collin, was never far from his mind, either. How he viewed and processed the nuances of the world with all of its sound, light, and color was fascinating and, at times, overwhelming for the teen. He had a deep respect for how Collin navigated his environment with palpable joy and genuinely loved spending time with the kid.
“Go time.”
A weight clenched his shoulder, and he went from his hazy daydreams to instantly alert. The helicopter thrummed with power, vibrating around him. Only a few weeks after returning from a two-week mission, they’d gotten called out again. Two American humanitarian aid workers had been taken hostage in Ethiopia, and they were being sent in for extraction. Heavy sandbags were tossed from the helo, anchoring the thick rope in place so their team of four could fast-rope to the ground. The rotor whirred overhead as he mounted the rope, straightened his legs, and slid. His hands would be skinned to the bone without the heavy gloves protecting his palms. When he was halfway down, he spotted movement in tall patches of grass dispersed over the plains.
A second later, all hell broke loose. The Blackhawk carrying them laid down cover, picking off some of the shooters, but it wasn’t enough to shield Branch. He’d take stock of his injuries when he reached the ground, and their team got to safety. He’d been hit twice, both grazes. His body jolted with the impact of another hit, and the split-second distraction caused his boot to slip. He tightened his grip, but the force of the blow knocked him off-balance, and he was free-falling the remaining twenty feet to the ground.
Images of Hannah and Collin flashed through his mind like a movie reel. If he survived the gunshot wounds and the drop, there was no way he would waste another second asking Hannah Day on a date. With her profession and stark independence, that feat might be easier said than done. He might be the most affable and congenial member of his team, but once he set his mind to something, he was stubborn as hell.